Sell more and lose less - with ECR Retail Loss

Epizode

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  Remote Monitoring 06.08.2026 15min

  Not long ago, retail CCTV was a comfort blanket: there because the store specification said so, and looked at only after something went wrong. That has changed.In this episode of Sell More Lose Less, Colin Peacock talks to Professor Emmeline Taylor about the rise of remote monitoring in retail, fresh from a two-day ECR meeting with 50 to 60 retailers.They unpack how remote monitoring centres, sometimes called security operations centres, crime centres or intelligence hubs, are pulling together video, alarms and panic buttons into one place, with 24-hour oversight of stores spread across the country. They cover the split between proactive monitoring and reactive evidence gathering, why communicating back into store is still the weak link, and the case for these centres becoming tools for the whole business, not just security, from self-checkout monitoring to virtual store audits.This is a follow-up to our earlier conversation on security operations centresMore on video in retailThe ECR research on retail CCTV strategy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Bananas 23.07.2026 12min

  Bananas are one of retail's best sellers. They are also one of its biggest waste lines.In this episode of Sell More Lose Less, Colin Peacock talks to food waste expert Richard Thalemann about why so many bananas are thrown away, and what retailers can do about it.They unpack a recent ECR meeting and a visit to a ripening factory in Dublin: why 36% of banana waste comes down to fruit that is too yellow, how ripening upstream sets shelf life in store, and a simple box-packing "magic trick" that prevents damage but almost nobody uses. They also look at banana hammocks, the behavioural psychology of which bananas shoppers pick, and how single-price bananas may be creating more waste, not less.The takeaway: cutting banana waste means joining up handling, merchandising, pricing and new uses for imperfect fruit.More on reducing food waste in retailThe true cost of unsold food in retail66 practical ways to reduce retail food waste Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Winning Hearts and Minds 09.07.2026 14min

  The stores that waste the least food often have one thing in common: engaged colleagues.In this episode of Sell More Lose Less, Colin Peacock talks to food waste expert Richard Thalemann about why engagement matters so much, and why it is so hard to sustain.They explore why people treat food differently at home and at work, the cognitive dissonance of caring about waste while being measured on sales, and why the emotional pull of charity donation rarely reaches the markdown gun. They also question league tables of donated meals, the risk of normalising surplus, and why champions of food waste fade like wallpaper unless the role keeps reinventing itself.The takeaway for retailers: make it easy, move the effort upstream, and measure what matters.More on reducing food waste in retailEngaging store associates to fight food wasteUsing store donations to reduce food waste Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Egg Waste Problem 25.06.2026 12min

  Eggs don't look like a big loss problem. Look closely at the numbers and the picture changes.In this episode of Sell More Lose Less, Colin Peacock is joined by food waste expert Richard Thalemann to ask why so much egg waste goes unrecorded, and what retailers can do about it.They cover the rule that forces a whole box to be binned when a single egg breaks, the £2 million a year one retailer puts against it, and the merchandising habits, top shelves and floor-standing shippers, that quietly drive breakages. They also look at why markdowns and confusing date codes push shoppers to waste eggs that are still perfectly good, and why eggs past their sell by date can still be donated.The message for retailers is simple: measure the problem properly before you try to fix it.More on reducing food waste in retailThe true cost of unsold food in retailUsing store donations to reduce food waste Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Live Facial Recognition in Retail 11.06.2026 16min

  Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to explore how retailers around the world are deploying live facial recognition and what it takes to get it right when it comes to reducing losses while maintaining privacy.They break the conversation into three areas.Firstly, organisational readiness: why deploying facial recognition in retail is not about flicking a switch, and why it can take years to align policies, training, data protection and governance across as many as twelve different principles.Secondly, the business case: one retailer reported a 20% reduction in shrink, but regulators are pushing back on some use cases and insisting the technology is proportionate to legitimate purposes such as violence reduction and in-store safety, not just financial ROI.Thirdly, sustainable deployment: how retailers can maintain public trust through transparency, clear signage, and holding the line on minimum standards.They also discuss watch list management, the risk of surveillance creep, the distinction between live and retrospective facial recognition, and why the parallels with early CCTV adoption suggest this technology will become the norm within a generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Exception Based Reporting in Retail 28.05.2026 16min

  Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to discuss how Exception Based Reporting (EBR) is being used across retail to tackle staff dishonesty and drive cultural change.Drawing on a new ECR Retail Loss survey of businesses across 19 countries, they explore the four key data points retailers are using to reduce losses by flagging internal theft: voided items, refunds to the same card, manual discounts and staff loyalty card misuse.83% of respondents are already using EBR for some form of data analysis around employee theft.But the conversation goes beyond detection. One retailer showed how transparency and communication around EBR drove deterrence, reducing individual case values from four figures to two.They also discuss why video integration remains underused, why store managers need ownership of the data alongside central teams, and why EBR needs to extend beyond bricks-and-mortar cashiers to cover order pickers, delivery drivers and third-party fulfilment as fulfilment methods diversify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Forecourt Crime 14.05.2026 11min

  Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to discuss the latest findings on forecourt crime rom ECR Retail Loss working group meetings.They explore why pay at pump is not the silver bullet for drive-offs and no means of payment, despite its appeal as a target-hardening measure.The conversation covers how one retailer combined ANPR technology with better signage and streamlined reporting to achieve a significant reduction in forecourt theft. But a growing problem is undermining ANPR: ghost plates. A recent report suggested one in 15 vehicles across England and Wales is now driving on false number plates. Emmeline and Colin discuss the governance risks for lone-working forecourt staff, the disparity in loss rates across retailers, and the value of law enforcement partnerships. They also consider how video analytics could help detect cloned plates in future, and why government action on ghost plates is needed before the problem becomes normalised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  RFID Innovations in Retail 30.04.2026 13min

  Dr Susanne Guth-Orlowski of the RAIN Alliance joins Colin Peacock to reflect on the 2025 ECR RFID Innovation Summit in Düsseldorf, hosted by C&A.Around 70 retailers attended, from those with 20 years of RFID experience to those just getting started.The conversation covers what stood out: the diversity of RFID use cases across fashion, sports and home retail, the Qualcomm presentation on bringing RFID reading to mobile phones, and how the EU's digital product passport regulation is creating new opportunities for RAIN RFID as a data carrier. They also discuss the innovation showcase featuring startups working on overhead readers, sustainable tags and AI-driven data analysis, and look ahead to the 2026 summit in Madrid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Loss Prevention Consultancy 16.04.2026 17min

  Sophie Wong joins Colin Peacock to talk about leaving corporate life at Coles to launch her own retail loss prevention consultancy, Positively Powered.She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of going it alone: from the freedom to think creatively and work across different retail organisations, to the reality of building a business from scratch without a steady paycheck.Sophie and Colin discuss why loss is everyone's responsibility, why it belongs on the C-suite agenda, and why loss prevention teams cannot solve complex shrink problems without cross-functional support. Sophie also offers practical advice for anyone considering a similar move, covering financial planning, defining a unique selling proposition, and the importance of constantly learning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Returns Fraud 02.04.2026 18min

  Professor Michael Townsley and Dr Andrew Childs join Colin Peacock to discuss new ECR Retail Loss research into returns fraud and abuse.Drawing on a survey of nearly 6,000 consumers across four countries and an investigation into dark web fraud communities, they reveal how widespread problematic return behaviours really are, why most offenders experience no friction at all, and the three practical steps every retailer should take now. Topics include wardrobing, Did Not Arrive claims, social engineering of team members, crime scripts, and why environmental messaging may work better than punitive measures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Retail Supply Chain Theft 19.03.2026 13min

  The scale of retail supply chain theft is hard to ignore. With some retailers reporting $200 million worth of freight on the road on any given day, even a small percentage of loss translates into significant financial damage. Yet many businesses still allocate minimal resources to tackling the problem.In this episode, Professor Emmeline Taylor draws on her research into freight crime and findings from a recent ECR Retail Loss working group to explore why this area of loss has been overlooked and what can be done about it.From the dramatic jump-up in thefts captured on video to the quieter threat of agency drivers infiltrating supply chains, the discussion covers a wide range of tactics used by offenders and the practical countermeasures available to retailers.The conversation also touches on GPS tracking, pallet recognition technology, tamper-proof packaging, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration between loss prevention, logistics, and law enforcement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Predicting Inventory Record Inaccuracies 03.03.2026 12min

  Predicting inventory inaccuracies is a practical way for retailers to target the items most likely to be wrong, rather than counting everything equally.Colin Peacock speaks with Aris Syntetos, Yacine Rekik and Christoph Glock about a decade of ECR research into inventory record inaccuracy, why it matters for availability and loss, and what interventions can make a difference.They share headline figures on how widespread record errors can be, how sales can be affected, and how prediction can help retailers prioritise audits and action.They also discuss the Mastering Inventory Accuracy In Retail leadership training that three professors are running for ECR Retail Loss on 9-10 December. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Facial Recognition 11.09.2025 13min

  Facial recognition is delivering serious results—one retailer reported a 25% drop in shrink—but it’s still on shaky ground.Professor Emmeline Taylor and Colin Peacock return to explore the real-world complexities of deploying this technology, from shared watchlists and legal grey areas to misidentifications that can make headlines.As more retailers turn to facial recognition, getting the human touch right is crucial: who gets notified, how they respond, and how trust is maintained.With a code of practice now on the table, this is a must-listen for anyone working through their own policies for facial recognition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Staff Dishonesty and Internal Theft 28.08.2025 16min

  Internal theft is responsible for a huge chunk of retail loss—yet only 2% of cases ever come to light.Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to discuss the rising complexity of staff dishonesty, from sweethearting and fake returns to collusion at self-checkouts and e-commerce touchpoints.Drawing on new ECR research, she explores how smarter comms, not bigger budgets, could make the biggest difference.Think nudges over finger-pointing—reminding colleagues of the risks, responsibilities and shared values.If retailers can deliver even a small shift in behaviour the potential savings could be enormous. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Quick Commerce 14.08.2025 16min

  What happens when someone orders five beers and a bag of crisps to arrive within 15 minutes but the store only has four beers?Professor Daniel Corsten joins Colin Peacock on the podcast to dissect the economics and challenges of quick commerce. And why they so often don’t add up.From soaring labour costs to out-of-stocks and substitutions, it’s a model that struggles to work in higher-wage markets.Daniel shares fresh insights on where picking costs stack up, the hidden toll of substitutions, and the smart interventions that might make fast fulfilment more viable.A timely reality check for retailers chasing speed and customer satisfaction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  On Shelf Availability 31.07.2025 21min

  Cameras don’t solve on-shelf availability—but they support it.Daniel Corsten joins Colin Peacock to discuss the latest ECR Retail Loss research and explains why shelf image technology is best seen as an enhancer, not a silver bullet.Supported by case-studies, he explores how retailers are using robots, badges, and fixed cameras to complement—not replace—traditional ways to measure on shelf availability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Wardrobing 17.07.2025 17min

  Criminologist Joe Clare shares practical lessons from ECR Retail Loss’s recent returns fraud research, revealing how a small group of repeat offenders can drive the bulk of losses. Even though 14% of all customers admit to doing it.Clothing dominates, but camping gear and electronics are also potential targets.He discusses with Colin Peacock how profiling, policy changes, and strategic tagging can disrupt this pseudo-rental behaviour—without damaging the customer experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Food Waste 03.07.2025 14min

  Despite being the cheapest option for food redistribution, less than a quarter of major retailers donate surplus food to their store colleagues.Colin Peacock and ECR Retail Loss’s expert food waste advisor Richard Thalemann explain how one retailer overcame fraud fears, tax headaches and tech hurdles to build a safe, scalable solution that’s a potential blueprint for others to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Face recognition 19.06.2025 18min

  Some retailers report up to a 25% shrink reduction when they use face recognition.In this episode, Colin and Emmeline explore how stores across the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand are deploying biometric recognition—mostly for watchlist alerts—but also for access control and retrospective investigations.They also tackle the legal, regulatory and ethical issues that retailers the world over are discussing with policymakers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Forecourt Losses 05.06.2025 14min

  Is pay-at-pump a quick fix or a false promise? How can retailers reduce drive-offs and maintain supplementary spending?Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to examine the evolving tactics retailers are using to fight forecourt losses.From digital reporting platforms to the strategic use of ANPR, the episode sheds light on how tech, training, and smarter reporting are reshaping the future of forecourt security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.